CUB Issues Tips For A Snow Day

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Feb 09, 2018, 01:32 ET

CHICAGO, Feb. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With a winter storm warning over the Chicago region on Friday and many children home from school, the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) issued tips on how to stay comfortable, without breaking the bank.

"Snow days like this are always an opportunity to make our homes warmer, safer, and more affordable through simple, common-sense, energy-efficiency tips," CUB Communications Director Jim Chilsen said.

Be smart about your thermostat. The Department of Energy recommends keeping the thermostat at 68 degrees while you're awake and at home, and lower when you're asleep or away. How low you go depends on what's right for your family and your health. During cold emergencies, the Illinois Department of Public Health has advised going no lower than 66 degrees. NEVER go below 55 degrees, because you could freeze your pipes.

Don't overwork your heating system. Keep comfortable the rooms you use most. Close off drafty rooms, stairways or hallways. Close blinds for extra protection from icy night winds, but open them during the day so sunlight can help heat your home.

Reduce the drafts. The cold is an opportunity to pinpoint the drafts in your home. Your hardware store can provide materials to seal leaks, but if you can't get there right away, improvise. For example, if you don't have a door guard or sweep to block cold air under your front and back doors, use a rolled up towel. Using a fireplace to stay warm? Close the damper after you're done using it, so warm air doesn't escape out the chimney.

Clear radiators, registers, air returns and baseboards of obstructions. Dust, rugs and furniture can block the heat and leave a room chilly. You can't heat your home if the air isn't circulating.

Clean or replace filters for a forced-air heating system. A dirty or non-functioning filter does nothing but drain money from your wallet. Check it every month—and now is a great time to clean or replace it if it's dirty.

Circulate the heat with the help of a ceiling fan. In the winter, run the fan clockwise (from your position, looking up at it) to pull warm air down from the ceiling. Turn off the fan when you leave the room.

Visit CUB's efficiency page, at CitizensUtilityBoard.org, to learn about programs in Illinois that help cut your utility bills. For example, you can get rebates of up to $100 off smart thermostats, which can cut your energy costs by up to 20 percent. (Also at CitizensUtilityBoard.org you can win a FREE smart thermostat from CUB.)

Created by the Illinois Legislature, CUB opened its doors in 1984 to represent the interests of residential and small-business utility customers. Since then, the nonprofit utility watchdog group has saved consumers more than $20 billion by helping to block rate hikes and secure refunds. For more details, call CUB's Consumer Hotline, 1-800-669-5556, or visit CUB's award-winning website, www.CitizensUtilityBoard.org.

SOURCE Citizens Utility Board